Bulk Food Supplies?

[DellaMyDarling]

We have available to us BJ and Costco, but the hour+ drive never made the membership worth it for us.
There's a Whole Foods and a local owned co-op, but I'm presuming the cost will be way higher for their fancy pantsy stuff than buying 10lb flour bags at grocery store. I do intend to actually go price it out, but I'm also uncertain they could beat the cost on that Montana flour link above.


I really could use a grain mill, because that opens up options for foods, sources, and you're right of course on preservation.
Cost is scaring me lol. It almost seems cheaper to find a vintage hand grinder of some sort, but worried I wouldn't know what to look for. I scored a beautiful flywheel style coffee grinder at an antique shop for $15. Researched it later to find it's vintage, maybe 70's, and considered the best manual grinder one can buy (for $300!) Not sure I should be putting other things through it though!
I do have a Kitchen Aid, but that doesn't help when we lose power. Big consideration there, but maybe not as important as I'm thinking it to be.
I gotta study that link above to the grinders more. First glance was overwhelming, so many attachments!

 

[Britesea]

There are plans out there for powering a grain mill using a bicycle. We bought a Grainmaker mill (https://grainmaker.com/ ) which is hand powered, but is so well made that it really isn't that hard to grind up just what you need for a loaf of bread. It was expensive, but it's one of the finest mills made- comparable to the italian Diamante, but made in the US so if you need parts or whatever it's a lot more accessible.

 

[Mini Horses]

-Everythingkitchens.com has several Italian models for $109-300.

Personally I feel I would use it very little, given the low ability to find & purchase the grains. Plus I eat little bread...love it, just don't eat a lot of it. I have a bread machine but ---- for what I eat, I can buy the flour for less than a grinder. But if grinding is your goal, go for it! We all enjoy different things.

Shame we don't live close enough to share this type of thing. I have a cheese press, cream separator, 3 stand mixers & attachments, pressure cookers (3), dehydrator, yogurt maker -- a boatload of pans/cookers, etc.….same with tractor equipment. Wish others were around with one or two pieces...some things you only use once or twice a year. I have ALL kinds of animal equipment!!!

Sorry... got off subject of "bulk food".

 

[wyoDreamer]

The Mennonites around here have bulk stores where you can buy from. I go to our local one all the time for their turnovers, lol. Not really a bulk storage item there.
I also buy most of my flour, sugar, grains, dried fruit, jello, etc. from there. Since my grinder is in storage and mostly inaccessable at the moment, I buy unbleached white flour, spring wheat flour, and high gluten bread flour.

 

[DellaMyDarling]

A food co-op does sound lovely!

There's probably Facebook groups for that around here.
I'm not on Facebook, and so when I made a page for our Homestead, Facebook removed my suddenly created bare profile as fake. So, just my partner can access it to maintain it now. He'd give me his phone whenever I want to edit our page, but I avoid taking over on his account just for his privacy.
Ughhhhh. I haven't decided if I should just create a profile or not. I don't want a Facebook!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

You might find a co-op near you by calling some of the NE based organic food suppliers, and asking them to search their customer base to see if there is a private buying club or co-op near you.

I can't remember the name of the company we used to use. Perhaps they are no longer in business. But, this one looked interesting.

http://www.associated-buyers.com/index.php/ordering/becoming-a-customer/what-is-a-buying-club

 

[Beekissed]

Sam's Club or Costco?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Our local Wal-Mart has bulk size on a few staples like rice, flour and beans. Might have to check out some online sources for other things.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I am also facing similar decisions. Knowing that I WANT to use up current stores of flour, then convert to home ground. Which necessitates buying a grinder. I'd like to have one that could be hand grind OR electrical. I also have a Kitchen Aid, and could go that route. I don't bake much at all. Again... that may change as I move forward. Would like to work with sour dough. But, I can buy bread products very economically at local day old bakery.

 

[wyoDreamer]

We ordered a bunch of stuff off the BePrepared.com website. Strawberries, raspberries, hash browns, powdered shortening, butter powder, ghee, broccoli, mashed potatoes, and such. The prices are pretty good for the #10 cans of dehydrated and Freeze Dried foods. They have a lot of items to help you get self-sufficient, most at good prices.

We bought the Country Living Grain Mill at the pleasant hill grain site that is listed above. We got it with te motor - but it came with the handle for the flywheel if we ever lose power. Hand cranking for grinding flour is long and tedious work...

One of our neighbors drove to the local feed mill and bought about #350 of wheat - it was locally grown, basically straight from the field. By that I mean it had to be cleaned of weed seeds and chaff still.
He just took a bunch of big plastic bins with lids and just had them fill the bins up. He sold us about 150 pounds that he didn't want, we then cleaned it and sealed in mylar bags.